Awning box



E. P. D'AZZO Nov. 27, 1951 AWNING BOX 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26,1949 INVENTQR. ERRoL P. D A220 es AWNING BOX Nov. 27, 1951 zzo 2,576,391

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1949 JNVENTQR. ERROL P. DAzzo PE. P.D'AZZO Nov. 27, 1951 AWNING BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 00%. 26, 1949 O mW N D M W m P w L O m E Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTflFFlGE,

$576,391 AWNING BQX Errol P. DAzzoQBrob'kh'n, Application October 26,1949, Serial No. 123,772

(01. let-. 22

This invention relates tonew and useful improvements awn ng b xes, and,mor p ti ularly-, the aim is to provide a novel and valuable box which;having other important advantages as will later on be stated, is orsubstantially wateri ht eons-trac n ab e of being peditiously' andinexpensively erected, and at the same time an awning box having aforward drop lid and manually actuable 111634115 1 01 positively openingthe lid when the avming is to be lowered and for positively closing thelid after the awning has been raised as by telling it up on a rollerhoused in the box.

one of the aforesaid further advantages of the invention is theprovision of an im roved hingemount for the drop-did, such hinge-mountinccr= porating a hinge entity, preferably of the piano= hinge kind,which is wholly carried, as to both of its leaves and its pintle pin by'the drop-lid. According to the invention, one of said leaves is screwed,riveted or otherwise secured to the droplid, and, in combination withthis feature the awning box is provided at it's top with a combinedflashing and hinge-leaf receptor constituted as a groove of such depthas to be characterizable as a slot. This feature of the invention maybecarried out in various ways, as by arranging such slot with itsdirection of depth vertical, or horizontal, or even in a plane at anangle both to the vertical and the horizontal. For purposes ofillustration merely, constructions pursuantto the in vention are hereinshown and described in one of which said slot is vertically disposed andin another of which said slot is horizontally disposed.

A further feature of, the invention is an improved sectionalconstruction for the drop-lid, such that by the use of a few standardparts, fabricable by the extrusion method, the drop-lid may be given anylength or width dimensions desired, according as'such parts arevariously combined.

Another object is to provide a construction including an improved tiemeans for the employed r p l ec ions of pra tieabie a d l w-co t pe,together with securing means for these parts serving, while maintainingtheir coupling under such tension that loosening of the connectionsbetween the parts is rendered impossible over the entire life of theawning box, to provide a cushioning means between various of the coupledparts.-

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantagesthereoi, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claiinsin which the.various novel features of the invention aremore particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of t s disclosu e;1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a shop front at which isi-nstalledanow favored embodiment of he awn ng o of the invent on Fig. 2. isenlarged vertica section, taken SubmeZ-ZOfFiQ1.

ar ",ectiq'n, taken s1 bstantially on 1 compr s s of parts for beingemployed inuifierem eombinan as to provide a dro' d Varyinglen'th and Hth dimensions, automating the "1 star-est the drop-liq. Fi 4 .iis avertical ection, taken on the line 4-1; of Fig. 3.

FiaAA is a part a ve tical s cti nal-view tak n onths lit1e4A- 4Aoifig4. I V 4 V F 5 i on a runner tars dj cal, a p sp ctiv deta l V w, show nairless portion of the awnin box, with the roof wan of such t carrymgone form of the r fer providing the mb ed. f ashi a j e in an em v unentther-eotwh its slot is vertical; thisfv-ww also showing.potti hs of thep anoliiinee and. ofthe di, no." i

" -en1 "re d d tail view this Qgihglln 6 6 of 5- to ig. 5. but with here11 15111; to v tange t hinse-lealf ree center an embodiment, th reofwherein its slot isho i i n at Fig. 8 is, like Fig. 6, a iurth enlargeddetail view. nd one, as-t oush wren h, he line 8- -8 of Fig. 7, forillustrating a, modification of the ran ement of said i .3- y I Fig. 9is a fragmentary se tionn view th jpugh the screw of the coupling 13'tween the lift-bar and the clamp-bar. Fig. 10 is a Section Fi 9., y p IReferring to the drawin s morein detail, lidsnotes the main part of anawning box adapted to be tolnnecte'd to? StQr tront wall. As here illus:

trat d this ma n par o the b x. s shown as of taken on the line {0-10 ofin gral-c nstruc i n to pr vide a top Wall I a rear wall 11 and a bottomwall it with this structur pr t r'ably de. of li t we g t mat rial sasaluminumt The nds of the main partof the awning box are ciosfedby endwalls (52*. The material from which the end walls [5 are formed is;thicker than the rnaterialfrorfn which the main part is iqrmed and theend walls are preferably form d f wo dv With n tie bosmay be m unted th,tam l ar roller on which the awning canvas her mater al, is o ed h ntheawning. raised. As is also familiar practice, said roller may be turnedin one direction or the other, to raise or lower the awning, by means ofa long rod having a crank-like offset near its lower end and at itsupper end having a hook to be engaged with a hook on the lower end of astub-shaft depending from the gear-couple or the like by way of whichwhen said stub-shaft is rotated in one direction or the other a rotativemovement in a corresponding-{direction is imparted to the roller.

In Figs. 2-4 such stub-shaft is indicated at 20.

As will be understood however, the present invention concerns itselfwith the improved awning box as hereinabove first described. The presentinvention, therefore, may be used independently of the awning raisingand lowering means installed.

The main box part 15 is shown as mounted at its bottom wall I8 on afoundation 2|, which may be of wood, having a forwardly downwardlysloping front portion 2P the bottom wall l8 having its forward edgelocated just back of such slope. The box part 15, as by way of its rearwall I1, is suitably secured to. the store wall; and the foundation 2!may be rested as indicated on .top of a cornice or the like overlyingthe entrance door and front windows of the store or shop.

The foundation 2! may be covered at its forward portion and along itslength at its top by a suitable metal flashing, such as indicated at 22.

From now on considering particularly Figs. 2-6, with cross-reference atthe proper time to Figs. 9 and 10, the roof or top N of the awning boxIE has suitably secured thereto a member 23 to provide the combinedflashing and hingeleaf receptoralready mentioned, this member 23extending all along the length of said box, and being cross-sectionallyshaped as indicated at 24 to provide a vertically disposed slot 25 forconstituting said receptor.

The drop lid is comprised of a number of parts all to extendhorizontally and each of a constant cross-section, so that allof themmay be extrusions of aluminum or'like material. These parts, in theassembly thereof herein shown, comprise an upper section 28, a lowersection 28', a ,panel 29, and a suitable number of vertically extendingclamp-bars 30. These bars are spaced at suitable intervals along thelength of the droplid. Each such bar. (Fig. 2) is secured, as by a screw3!, to a horizontally extending tie-plate 32: said tie-plate beingslidably endwisely inserted into a recess or chamber extendinglongitudinally of the panel 29 and partially bounded at top and bottomby the flange portions'33 and 34 of said panel.

Said panel 29 is otherwise flanged, as best shown in Fig. 5 at 35 and36, and for interengaging with these flange portions 35 and 36 matchingflange formations are carried along the bottom of the section 28 andalong the top of the section 28', whereby the drop-lid, in so far assaid sectionsandsaid panel are concerned, may be established byendwisely sliding relative movements of these parts 28, 28' and 29.

V The clamp-bars 30 are provided with abutment screws 39, see Fig. 2,which bear against the matching flange formations of the sections 28 and28', retaining those flange formations against movement in a directionaway from the flange portions 35 and 36 of the panel 29. The abutmentscrews 39 leave the sections 28 and 28' free for endwise slidingmovement relative to the panel 29.

' The drop-lid is of adequate height in substantially all installationsif made up of the upper and lower sections 28 and 28', and anintervening panel 29. Said panel, for example, may be supplied invarying widths, so that when specially desired the width of the drop-lidmay be made exactly as specified merely by employing a panel 29 ofappropriate width.

A piano-hinge is as a whole designated 40, the same including (Figs. 5and 6) apair of leaves 4! and 42 each having a multiplicity of spacedcurled portions, so arranged that when said curled portions of one leafare alternated relative to and aligned with said curled portions of theother leaf a cylindrical structure 43 is established for carrying thepintle pin 44 of the hinge, said pin shaped at its ends to irremovablyinclude the pin on the hinge entity. The leaf 4| is suitably permanentlysecured to the upper portion of the section .28 near its top; and ashere shown said section 28 has along its length and at its top adownturned lip 45 to which the leaf 4! is attached as by a suitablenumber of bolt and nut couples as shown at 46.

The drop-lid is pivotally'suspended from the awning box merely bydropping said leaf 42 into the vertical slot 25, thereby to arrange theparts, with the drop-lid in closed condition, as shown in Fig. 6. v Themechanism illustrated for raising and lowering the drop-lid comprises asuitable number of lift-bars 47 (Figs. 24 and 9 and 10) four of suchbars being indicated in Fig. 1 These bars are spaced at suitableintervals along the length of the drop-lid, and each has a curled upperend portion 48 (Fig. 3) for embracing a shaft 49 and for being securedthereto, for being swung thereby, as by means of a set-screw 50. Theshaft 49 is rotatively supported at its ends in a pair of hangers 5ifixedly secured to the top wall l6 of the main part of the awning box l5by screws 52, see Fig. 4A.

For coupling the lift-bars 41 with the clampbars 39, thereby to hingedlymount the drop-lid on the shaft 49, a means is employed, alsoconstituting a special feature of the invention, comprising a forkedlower end portion 54 on each liftbar, and a screw 55 having a head 56,and sleeved by an expansile coil spring 51. The screw 55 is threadedinto a tapped hole through the adjacent clamp-bar 39, the spring 51extending all along the length of the screw shank and so through saidforked portion 54 (see Figs. 9, l0 and 2). Thereby a constant tension isprovided for the screw 55, to prevent'loosening thereof, to permitlength adjustment, and at the same time to provide a cushioning means.

Fixed to the shaft 49 by a set screw 58 (Fig. 4) thereis a worm-gearsegment 59, which meshes with a worm to in a cage BI and is held fast ona stub-shaft 62. The upper'portion of the shaft 62 is journalled in anaperture 63 through the bottom wall of the cage 6 I.

The stub-shaft 62 is forwardly and downwardly inclined for slightprojection below the foundation 2! as shown in Fig. 2. To the lower endof the stub-shaft 62 there is secured a hook 65; said hook being shownas the same as the conventional hook ordinarily carried at the bottom ofan extension from the stub-shaft 2B in previous installations where thelatter was only present, for the purpose of being turned in onedirection or the other for winding up or lowering the awning.

The side of the cage 61 adjacent the hanger 5! is formed with aninternally threaded boss 6|, see Fig, 4, aligned with an inclinedelongated hollow structure in rear of said receptor and a plurality oflift-bars spaced along the length of said shaft and each secured nearits upper endto said shaft whereby the latter may be rotated to swingsaid lift-bars outwardly awayfrom, and back to, a suspension of saidlift-bars in substantially vertical planes. e

4.. An awning box, comprising a main hollow structure, a drop-lidtherefor, and means; partially carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarried by said hollow structure for swingably suspending said lid fromsaid hollow structure, said means including a combined flashing andhingeleaf receptor fixedly carried by said hollow structure and furtherincluding a plural-leaf hinge entity the leaves of which are permanentlycoupled by a pintle pin of the hinge entity, one of said leaves beingsecured to the lid whereby when the other of said leaves is im sortedinto said receptor the lid is swing-ably suspended, and a secondswingably mounted structure hung from Within said hollow structure andconnected to the lid at its rear for causing outward swing of the lidwhen said second structure is outwardly swung, said second structurecomprising a shaft journalled in said hollow structure in rear of saidreceptor and a plurality of lift-bars spaced along the length of saidshaft and each secured near its upper end to said shaft whereby thelatter may be rotated to swing said lift-bars outwardly away from, andback to. a suspension of said lift-bars in substantially verticalplanes, said lid comprising an upper section, a lower section, and anintermediate panel, each of these three last-named parts extending alongthe entire length of the lid.

5. An awning box, comprising a main hollow structure, a drop-lidtherefor, and means partially carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarried by said hollow structure for swingably suspending said lid fromsaid hollow structure, said means including a combined flashing andhingeleaf receptor fixedly carried by said hollow structure and furtherincluding a plural-leaf hinge entity the leaves of which are permanentlycoupled by a pintle pin of the hinge entity, one of said leaves beingsecured to the lid whereby when the other of said leaves is insertedinto said receptor the lid is swingably suspended, and a secondswingably mounted structure hung from within said hollow structure andconnected to the lid at its rear for causing outward swing of the lidwhen said second structure is outwardly swung, said second structurecomprising a shaft journalled in said hollow structure in rear of saidreceptor and a plurality of lift-bars spaced along the length of saidshaft and each secured near its upper end to said shaft whereby thelatter may be rotated to swing said lift-bars outwardly away from, andback to, a suspension of said lift-bars in substantially verticalplanes, said lid being inclusive of an upper section, a lower section,and an intermediate panel, each of these three last-named partsextending along the entire length of the lid, said three last-namedparts having interengaging flange formations along their contactingedges.

6. An awning box, comprising a main hollow structure, a drop-lidtherefor, and means partially carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarried by said hollow structure for swingably-suspending said lid fromsaid hollow structure, said means including a combined flashing andhingeleaf receptor fixedly carried by said hollow structure and furtherincluding a plural-leaf hinge entity the leaves of which are permanentlycoupled by a pintle pin of the hinge entity, one of said'leaves beingsecured to the lid whereby when the other of said leaves is insertedinto said receptor the lid is swingably suspended, a second swingablymounted structure hung from within said hollow structure and connectedto the lid at its rear for causing outward swing of the lid when saidsecond structure is outwardly swung, said second structure comprising ashaft journalled in said hollow structure in rear of said receptor and aplurality of lift-bars spaced along the'length of said shaft and eachsecured near its upper end to said shaft whereby the latter may berotated to swing said lift-bars outwardly away from, and back to, asuspension of said lift-bars in substantially vertical planes, said lidbeing inclusive of an upper section, a lower section, and anintermediate panel, a tie-plate, said panel having at its rear a recessinto which said tie-plate can be slipped from one end of said panel,"aclamp bar of a length to extend across said panel and have end portionsextend beyond the top and bottom edges of said panel, securing means forattaching said clamp-bar intermediate ofits ends to said tie-plate, anda second securing means for attaching a lift-bar to said clamp-bar.

7. An awning box, comprising a main hollow structure, a drop-lidtherefor, and means partially carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarried by said hollow structure for swingably suspending said lid fromsaid hollow structure, said means including a combined flashing andhingeleaf receptor fixedly carried by said hollow structure and furtherincluding a plural-leaf hinge entity the leaves of which are permanentlycoupled by a pintle pin of the hinge entity, one of said leaves beingsecured to the lid whereby when the other of said leaves is insertedinto said receptor'the lid is swingably suspended, a second swingablymounted structure hung from within said hollow structure and connectedto the lid at its rear for causing outward swing of the lid when'saidsecond structure is outwardly swung, said second structure comprising ashaft journalled in said hollow structure in rear of said receptor, anda lift-bar secured near its upper end to said shaft whereby the lattermay be rotated to swing said lift-bar outwardly away from, and back to,a suspension of said lift-bar in substantially a vertical plane, saidlid being inclusive of an upper section, a lower section, and anintermediate panel, a tie-plate, said panel having at its rear a recessinto which said tieplate can be slipped from one end of said panel, aclamp bar of a length to extend across said panel and have end portionsextend beyond the top and bottom edges of said panel, securing means forattaching said clamp-bar intermediate of its ends to said tie-plate, anda securing means for attaching said lift bar near its lower end to saidclamp bar.

8. An awning box, comprising a main hollow structure, a drop-lidtherefor, and means partially carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarried by said hollow structure for swingably suspending said lid fromsaid hollow structure, said means including a combined flashing andhinge-leaf receptor fixedly carried by said hollow structure and furtherincluding a plural-leaf hinge entity the leaves of which are permanentlycoupled by a pintle pin of the hinge entity, one of said leaves beingsecured'to the lid whereby when the other of said leaves is. insertedinto said receptor the iaps eci lid swingably suspended, =-a secondswingably abeing securedfitd the-slid!wherebyswhenithernther mountedstructure hung from' withimsaid hollow of nsaidleaves sis ainseritedz-intonsaid receptonithe structure and connected to the lid'at its 2rear-for lid is swingably suspended; said'rreceptor lyingmin *causingoutward swing 'of-{the lidwhen saidsec substantiallyuaiverticaluplanerorid st'ructure is outwardlyk swung,'said second 31,1.tmiaawninglbox,:comprisingza:main: ho1low structure comprising ashare 'ournalled -in said structure, .1 aidropfslidthereforerzand meanspar- -h'dllow' strutuie in'--rear of -said rec'eptor andatiallyrnar'rieol yzthetsdrop-lidcand:sparinallygnarpluralityofclift-bars spaced along the length of tried. byisaidshollowrstructiirezforsswingably:sussaid shaft and each secured near itupper end to ipendingssaid didafrom 'said-lhoilotw structure, said shaftwhereby thewlatter may be rotated om said' meansl'dnclurlinge'arcombrnedriiiashingsand to. swing said lift-bars outwardlyaway.from,.and i'zliingeeieafmeceptcrefixedlyzcarriedzby'rsaida hollowbaick'to, a' suspension or said 'liftb'ars' irr substanstructurea-anil:fnrthernincludib rsa plmcaleleaf tially vertical planes, said lid"beinginclusiveof 'ihinge;entityithezleavesrofiiyhich ;;arerpermanently anupper section, a lower section, and aninterocoupledsbyoagpintleipinrofrthe-zhingesentity,one mediate D -DSaidVD'amPhaVing at its ofssaidr'leavesebeing2securedatosthe,lidrzwhereby reard-a-frecess into whichrsaid tie-plateacanitbe m m t'of saidileavesflsfinsentedintoSaid slipped from one end ofsaid-:p'anel, aicl rni 19 :receptorathe e-li'drisasswingablyu'suspendedsaid iofia length-to extend acrossesaidgpaner andihave eeptor;;lyingsubstantiallyirwhorizontahplane.

edges of said panel, securing means for attaching n-strltctu1e;:;;a,rdlgpzlid tilereion: and-rmeans parsaid clamp-barintermediate of its ends to said ti ll i d by t d q and -51 ,11

tie-Plate, and a Securing means attaching ried by said hollow structurefor swingably susone of the lift-bars to said clamp-bar, saidclarnppending id 11d from said hollow structure, bars being duplicatedfor each of said lift-bars. Said means, including a, mbined flashin andA w g Comprising a main hollow hinge-leaf receptor fixedly carried bysaid hollow ru a ptherefor, and means structure and further including aplural-leaf tialiy carried y the pi partially Carried hinge entity theleaves of which are permanently by said hollow structure for swingablysuspending coupled by pintle m of th hinge entity, one

said lid from said hollow structure, said means of Said leaves being edt th lid whereby nc i a Combined fiashiilg and hinge-leaf when the otherof said leaves is inserted into said receptor fi y callled y Saidhull-0W structure receptor the lid is swingably suspended, a second andfurther including a plural-leaf hinge entity swingably mounted structurehung from within h ea of Which are Permanently upled by said hollowstructure and connected to the lid at a pint p of the hinge e t o ofsaid leaves its rear for causing outward swing of the lid b i c e 0 thelid whereby When the other when said second structure is outwardlyswung, of said leaves is inserted into said receptor the id second strut re comprising a shaft jourlid is swingably Suspended, a Second wi ablynalled in said hollow structure in rear of said mounted Structu e hun oWithin a d h0110W receptor and lift-bars secured near their upperstructure and connected to the lid at its rear for d t id shaft wherebythe latter may be au n utwar sw n of th d whe sa d second a rotated toswing said lift-bars outwardly away Structure is outw d y swun Said e ostrucfrom, and back to, a suspension of said lift-bars ture comprising aShaft lournalled n id h in substantially vertical planes, said lid being10W structure in rear f S d c p a a p inclusive of an upper section, alower section,

rality 0 lift-bars Spaced along the length of and an intermediate panel,a tie-plate, said panel said shaft and each secured near its upper endto having at its rear a recess, clamp-bars of a length said shaftwhereby the latter may be rotated to to extend across said panel andhave end Swing S t-bars outwardly away from, and ortions extend beyondthe top and bottom edges back a Suspension f Said lift-bars in b a ofsaid panel, securing means for attaching said tially vertical planes,said lid being inclusive of clamp-bars t id tie-plate, and second anupper section, a lower section, and an intercuring means for attachingeach of said mediate panel, a tie-plate, said panel having at clamp-barsnear its lower end to the respective its rear a recess, into which saidtie-plate can be lift-bars, said second securing means, for each slippedfrom one end of said panel, a clamp bar lift-bar, comprising a fork atthe lower portion of a length to extend across said panel and have orsaid lift-bar, a screw, a tapped aperture in said end portions extendbeyond the top and bottom clamp-bar having its thread matching thethread edges of said panel, securing means forattachoi the shank of saidscrew, said screw having a ing said clamp-bar intermediate of its endsto head preventing passage thereof through such said tie-plate, and asecond securing means for fork, and an expansile coil spring sleevingthe attaching said clamp-bar near its lower end to a d Screw Shankone ofsaid lift-bars, there being a plurality of said 13. An awning box,comprising a main hollow clamp-bars respectively located opposite saidliftstructure, a drop-lid therefor, and means parbars and a second-namedsecuring means for each tially carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarlift-bar securing its related clamp-bar thereto, ried by said hollowstructure for swingably susall of said clamp-bars being attached to saidtiepending said lid from said hollow structure, said plate. meansincluding a combined flashing and hinge- 10. An awning box, comprising amain hollow leaf receptor fixedly carried by said hollowstrucstructure,adrop-lid therefor, and means partially ture and furtherincluding a plural-leaf hinge carried by the drop-lid and partiallycarried by entity the leaves of which are permanently said hollowstructure for swingably suspending coupled by a pintle pin of the hingeentity, one of said lid from said hollow structure, said means saidleaves being secured to the lid whereby when including a combinedflashing and hinge-leaf the other of said leaves is inserted into saidreceptor fixedly carried by said hollow structure receptor the lid isswingably suspended, a second and further including a plural-leaf hingeentity swingably mounted structure hung from within the leaves of whichare permanently coupled by a said hollow structure and connected to thelid pmtle pin of the hinge entity, one of said leaves at its rear forcausing outward swing of the lid whensaid second structure is outwardlyswung,

said second structurecomprisinga shaft journalled in said hollowstructure in rear of said receptor and lift-bars secured near theirupper end to said shaft whereby the latter may be rotated to swing saidliftebars outwardly away from, and back to, a suspension of saidlift-bars in substantially vertical planes, said .lid being inclusive ofan upper section, a lower section,

and an intermediate panel, a tie=plate, said panel,

having at its rear a recess, clamp-bars of a length to extend acrosssaid panel and have end portions extend beyond the top and bottom edgesof said panel, securing means for attachingrsaid clamp-bars to saidtie-plate, and second securing means for attaching each of saidclamp-bars nearits lower end tothe respective lift-bars, said secondsecuring means, for each lift-bar, comprising, a fork at the lowerportion of said liftbar, a screw, a tapped aperture in said clamp- 20 12bar having its thread matching the thread of the shank of said screw,said screw having ahead preventing passage thereof through such fork,and an expansilecoil spring sleeving the said screw shank, said springextending through said fork and providing a resilient cushioning meansbetween the said clamp-bar and said lift-bar.

ERROL P. DAZZO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,112,579 Schane Mar. 29, 19382,205,015 Lowry June 18, 1940 2,487,639 DAzzo Nov. 8, 1949

